Studio Shift’s 3,000 seat Sports Center in Miyi County provides a multi-purpose venue to accommodate sporting events such as badminton, table tennis and basketball. The main center is connected to smaller venues that feature a 200-seat tennis court, a diving/swimming pool, and several badminton and table tennis courts. To unite the disparate collection of venues, an undulating metal roof encapsulates the program and defines the external boundaries of the building as it wraps down towards the ground plane.
More about the sports center after the break.
The roof geometry responds directly to the span requirements of the major venues. Various thin-film photovoltaic technologies are being investigated as critical components of the broad roof surface along with strategies to collect and re-use rainwater and maximize controlled, natural daylight. A panelized, glazing system allows for selective control of glare and heat gain through the treatment of individual panes. Varying opacities and tones are assigned to the glazing panels in response to solar position and orientation in an effort to maintain maximum building performance as well as the individual performance of its athletes and users.
The Miyi County Sports Center is bounded by linear parks on the east and the south which carry an irrigation canal and follow a natural creek, respectively. To the north, the Center directly interfaces with the main commercial and cultural Promenade of Miyi through a sports-specific retail program and the intersection of its primary circulation systems. At the main concourse, a grand stair provides an entrance to the venues and casual, public seating in a zone of high pedestrian activity. The second major entry, on the eastern linear park, ensures the activation of the green space. The sports retail program and the concessions and services are connected and accessible through the main elevated concourse level thus bringing together the existing with the new.
Project Name: Miyi County Sports Center
Project Location: Miyi County, Sichuan Province, China
Year: 2009-current
Phase: Completion of Concept Design Phase
Anticipated Date of Completion: Spring 2013
Architect: Studio Shift, Culver City, California, USA
Website: www.studioshift.com
Project Team: Mario Cipresso (Principal), Ed Hatcher, Marisol Mejia, Stephen Morton
